Sky Sports activities F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has revealed that Max Verstappen performed an important function in Purple Bull’s upturn in competitiveness through the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend.
McLaren dominated Friday apply, main 1-2 finishes in each periods.
Verstappen dominated out difficult for the win, declaring {that a} McLaren overtook him through the race simulations.
Verstappen and Purple Bull got here alive on Saturday after important adjustments in a single day.
The reigning world champion narrowly missed out on pole, securing second on the grid.
Verstappen then went on to win the race, making it a snug afternoon for Purple Bull of their four-hundredth F1 race.
Talking after the race in his ‘Pocket book’ present, Kravitz defined the function Verstappen and his engineers performed in turning the weekend round.
“I requested Purple Bull’s press guys, and I stated who’s carried out it? Was it the fellows on the simulator? It might need been due to Rudy van Buren or whoever it was,” Kravitz stated.
“It wasn’t Sebastian Buemi as a result of I feel he’s doing Components E in Japan. Who was it who turned this automobile round? However they stated it’s the engineers right here on the monitor, and it’s Max who turned it round.”
“Then Max stated, after the race, after they stated ‘Grande Max’, he stated: ‘Sure, It was a really robust Saturday and Sunday’. He wasn’t kidding, was he? He didn’t care to say Friday after they had been everywhere in the store.
“So credit score to them for turning it round fully on Friday evening and coming right here with a automobile that was a McLaren beater.”
Verstappen again in F1 title rivalry
Verstappen’s second victory of the 2025 F1 season has put him again in title rivalry.
After seven rounds, he’s 22 factors behind Oscar Piastri within the drivers’ championship.
Solely Piastri has received extra races than Verstappen this yr.
Purple Bull expect the flexi-wing clampdown to considerably influence the championship.
The FIA will impose stricter exams on groups’ entrance wings for the Spanish Grand Prix, which may have an effect on McLaren.
Verstappen is seeking to win his fifth straight drivers’ title this yr – one thing solely Michael Schumacher has achieved beforehand.
